Public Affairs Office:Alicia Valle
Special Counsel to the U.S Attorney
(305) 961-9153

Public Affaira Fax
(305) 530-7055

ADMISSIONS REPRESENTATIVE CONVICTED OF PELL GRANT FRAUD

July 17, 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Jeffrey H. Sloman, Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and Lester Fernandez, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General, announced that today a jury found defendant, Henry Robert Jean Leger, 49, of Miami, guilty of Pell Grant fraud, wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit the same. Sentencing before U.S. District Court Judge Joan A. Lenard is scheduled for September 29, 2009, at 11:00 a.m.

According to the Indictment and evidence admitted at trial, Leger, while acting as an admissions representative at the Miami Technical Institute, a for-profit vocational school formerly located at 14701 N.W. Seventh Avenue, Miami, Florida, directed students to falsify financial information to qualify the students for Pell Grant funds that were paid to the school by the U.S. Department of Education from 1997 through 1998. Defendant Leger and his co-conspirators were responsible for defrauding the Pell Grant program of over $160,000.

This case demonstrates our commitment to aggressively pursuing those who abuse their positions of trust and misuse Federal education funds for their personal enrichment, said Mary Mitchelson, acting Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Education. Im proud of the work of OIG Special Agents, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Attorneys Office for their relentless pursuit of this man and for holding him accountable for his fraudulent actions.

Mr. Sloman commended the investigative efforts of the Department of Education and the U.S. Marshals Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan D. OQuinn and Christopher J. Clark.

If you wish to make a request for information, you may contact our office at 305-961-9001, or you may send a written inquiry to the United States Attorney's Office, Southern District of Florida, 99 NE 4th Street, Miami, Fl. 33132.